MOSCOW, October 17 (RIA Novosti) - Tobacco companies could use electronic cigarettes to reinsert themselves into public health policy making, John Stewart, Campaign Director at non-profit organization Corporate Accountability International, said Friday.
"E-cigarettes could become an avenue for tobacco industry to reinsert itself into public health policy making," Stewart said.
"[WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control] definitely recommends regulating them [e-cigarettes] in a similar manner to tobacco," the director added.
Stewart said marketing, advertising and sponsorship could allow tobacco companies to make false health claims to their advantage, reminiscent of the tactics the industry used to promote tobacco itself.
Stewart noted that there was little consensus on how to regulate e-cigarette sponsorship, which is why e-cigarettes were still unregulated in many markets. This lack of regulation allows tobacco companies to make health claims about e-cigarettes being useful for quitting smoking, while, on the contrary, they may be a way to make people take up the habit, he added.
From October 13 to 18, parties to the WHO FCTC are holding a summit in Moscow, focusing on the regulation of electronic cigarettes. In August, WHO released a report stating that e-cigarettes might be harmful and could lead to nicotine addiction and tobacco smoking. A final decision on the e-cigarette regulation issue is expected to be made on October 18.
